Reefer2 wrote:So I am confused (like what else is new) can he or cant he be bought out now?

I believe that MG needs to put Ballard on unconditional waiver again in order to buy him out. MG is probably shopping Ballard around for a cheaper buyout option. If the option is not available, Ballard will be on the unconditional waiver tomorrow. The Canucks can proceed to buy him out after 48 hours.

Isn't the deadline for buyouts Thursday? If they put him on waivers tomorrow they won't have 48 hours to see if he clears. I wouldn't be surprised, if they need to put him back on unconditional waivers they did so today as soon as he failed to clear. That would give them the 48 hour window, no?>

Reefer2 wrote:So I am confused (like what else is new) can he or cant he be bought out now?

I believe that MG needs to put Ballard on unconditional waiver again in order to buy him out. MG is probably shopping Ballard around for a cheaper buyout option. If the option is not available, Ballard will be on the unconditional waiver tomorrow. The Canucks can proceed to buy him out after 48 hours.

Isn't the deadline for buyouts Thursday? If they put him on waivers tomorrow they won't have 48 hours to see if he clears. I wouldn't be surprised, if they need to put him back on unconditional waivers they did so today as soon as he failed to clear. That would give them the 48 hour window, no?>

I think 48 hours was the amount of time after the final game of the playoffs that teams had to wait to begin compliance buyouts - and unconditional waivers for purposes of compliance buyout are still just 24 hours. I guess we will see if Ballard is put on unconditional waivers tomorrow.

Obviously I was anti-Ballard trade from the beginning, and won't be sorry to see him go.

A lot of people somehow have the impression that he was "mishandled" by AV and Bowness which I find mystifying. Ballard just wasn't a defender that they trusted, so they put the players they trust on the ice. When you look at his play, he just didn't cut the mustard at either end of the ice - especially for $4.2M.

Strengths:SkatingShot-blockingMucked pretty well in puck battles for a small guy

Weaknesses:Riverboat gambler often getting caught up ice or out of position trying to make a hit (hip check)Weak point shot rarely got throughPoor passing vision especially when he did rush the puck into the opposing zone, he usually ended up swooping behind opposing net and eventually turning over the puck without being able to make a play

My NHL comparison was Mike Weaver, but Ballard was paid like a top 30 in the NHL guy. If he had been making only $1.5M, and the Canucks didn't give up a 1st round pick for him, it wouldn't have been so bad to have a mediocre #5-6 defender. But that's not how it was.

herb wrote:We'll see what Ballard gets offered when he's a UFA. I bet he'll get paid less than Aaron Rome.

In fairness, I think the lesser buyouts are going to have even greater deflationary pressure on their subsequent contracts than other fringe players will with the cap going down - the salary on their next deal may not be a reflection of teams views of their ability.

Obviously Vinny got himself top six money again and so will Daniel Briere, but guys like Ballard and Komisarek and Shultz will be pressed to take ~$1m deals even if teams think they can be worth more - they'll be getting paid by their former teams and they'll be in a spot where they need to prove they can still play in this league.

I could see Ballard having a role as large as or larger than what Aaron Rome had in Dallas this past year, and while that should not be a feather in his cap it would be more of an indicator of his ability than a one year $800 000 contract would be.

Southern_Canuck wrote:I think 48 hours was the amount of time after the final game of the playoffs that teams had to wait to begin compliance buyouts - and unconditional waivers for purposes of compliance buyout are still just 24 hours. I guess we will see if Ballard is put on unconditional waivers tomorrow.

I haven't seen anything specifically for compliance buyouts, but what I have seen for unconditional waivers is that it's a 48 hour period. Which if true means Ballard must have been waived yesterday (if he's going to get a compliance buy out).

A lot of people somehow have the impression that he was "mishandled" by AV and Bowness which I find mystifying. Ballard just wasn't a defender that they trusted, so they put the players they trust on the ice. When you look at his play, he just didn't cut the mustard at either end of the ice - especially for $4.2M.

Ballard has pretty clearly been a better player than he was in Vancouver, whether he ever finds that again I don't know but early on it was tempting to look for other explanations than "his game just fell off a cliff" because it usually doesn't happen for guys under 30 unless there's some major injury or something along those lines.

But it appears that's what did happen for KB4, I think he was misused in the first season but as time wore on that simply ceased to explain his poor play - ultimately its on a player to persevere and do everything they can to be effective in the role they've been asked to play, and Ballard didn't do that. I don't think he was a great fit here but it's not like the coaching staff asked him to learn to play right a right-handed stick or anything.

Anyway hopefully its onwards and upwards for Ballard but no way would it be worth taking a chance on him at $8.4m over two years.

My NHL comparison was Mike Weaver, but Ballard was paid like a top 30 in the NHL guy. If he had been making only $1.5M, and the Canucks didn't give up a 1st round pick for him, it wouldn't have been so bad to have a mediocre #5-6 defender. But that's not how it was.

S_C

Weaver is actually really effective in his own zone (tremendously effective, given his size) so I don't really agree with the comparison.

That will put the canucks with $7.5 mil in cap space with 16 players signed (9F, 5D, 2G).

Tack on the 10% summer allowance and Gillis has some room to work with on Friday.

Should be interesting. Almost $14m in wiggle room, although obviously using that in its entirety would be problematic.

Still, I am holding out some hope that the team is going to build its roster with the same plan it had in 2010-11 - build the best team you can in the offseason, and hold onto everyone for as long as possible.

My guess is, now that there are no recall waivers the team will try to sneak a few guys who will be on the team down to Utica at the end of camp, and use the performance bonus exemptions on players like Gaunce and Horvat to stay under the cap on the opening day roster.

Still, if you pencil in guys like Lain/Schroeder/Weise and 10% over their QOs and Tanev at 100% over his, that only leaves about $3m of room with three roster spots open; it will take some wizardry to add a legitimate top nine forward under the circumstances and I won't be holding my breath.